slides: 10 Great Craft Breweries in Central Massachusetts

With more than 60 active breweries, Massachusetts has established itself as a hub for homemade, locally sourced craft beers.

So much so, that this week, the he Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) unveiled a Craft Brewers Passport, encouraging residents and tourists to visit and support the Bay State's craft beer brewers.

Massachusetts' original craft beer

A recent poll of more than 5,000 beer drinkers across the nation--conducted by "hangover cure" company Blowfish--assessed each state's beer of choice. The survey results revelaed that all six New England states prefer Samuel Adams over all others.

While the Boston Brewing Company may be top dog today, the ten breweries featured in the slides below could begin to give them a run for their money.

Related Slideshow: The Breweries of Central Massachusetts

3 Beards Brewing Co.

Northborough

Featured Beers: Cow Puncher IPA, Lumberjack Black Lager

3 Beards Beer Company allows undiscovered artisan brews from around the world to be locally brewed and freshly distributed. They focus on talented individuals who have the desire--but not necessarily the means--to share their creations with beer enthusiasts.

Banner Beer Company

North Grafton

Featured Beers: Banner American Ale, Banner American Rye

Banner Beer Company specializes in brewing beers that are below 5% ABV (Alcohol by Volume). The Logic: People with a motivated lifestyle want to enjoy the flavor of beer at night and wake up with a clear head in the morning.

Wormtown Brewery

Created by Worcester-native Ben Roesch in 2010, Wormtown Brewery claims to be the the first and only brewery to use only Massachusetts-grown ingredients in every beer-- leading to one of their slogans: A taste of Mass in every glass.

Wachusett Brewing Company

Founded in 1994 by three WPI graduates, Wachusett released their first beer,Wachusett Country Pale Ale, 20 years ago after spending nearly a year perfecting the recipe. The three founders, Kevin Buckler, Ned LaFortune, and Petter Quinn designed and built most of the company's original equipment.

3cross Brewing Company

Worcester

Featured Beers: TBA

Billed as a allow of bikes and beer, Worcester's newest brewery and taproom, 3Cross received its brewery license in February and pouring permit in March. They plan to open a facility on Cambridge Street in Worcester in April.

Kretschmann Brewing Co.

Webster

Featured Beers: Webster's Lake Ale, Copper Pot Ale

Though inspired by the brewers' Bohemian heritage, Kretschmann Brewing Co. ues locally sourced ingredients in their 13 different craft beers. While Kretschmann beers are not widely distributed, they can be found at many Central Mass restaurants and at their bottle shop in Webster.

Bay State Brewing

Leicester

Featured Beers: Tripel Trap, Velvet Revolution, Time Traveler

Three guys with over 70 years of brewing knowledge comined forces in 2012 to "make beer better." Available at dozens of locations throughout Massachusetts, their newest brew, Tripel Tap, was featured at the 2014 Boston Beer Summit.

Jack’s Abby Brewing Co.

Framingham

Featured Beers: Mass Rising, Hoponius Union, the ABCs

Founded by the three brothers, Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler in 2011, Jack's Abby won several awards from RateBeer in 2014: Best Brewer in Massachusetts, Pale Lager (Gold), Bock, Strong Lager (Gold and Silver), Dark Lager (Silver). They also won several more awards in previous years.

Pioneer Brewing Co.

Sturbridge

Featured Beers: Manifest Destiny Series (Into the Woods, Path of the Unknown, The New Frontier)

Founded in 2004, Pioneer Brewing Company is a tenant brewery of Rapscallion Brewery's Fiksdale location. Their signature brews, the Manifest Destiny Series, feature three beers of 9% ABV or more, are available at multiple locations in Central Mass, and now Boston.